At the end of the monsoon season, between September and October, the Agariya families leave the villages on the edge of the desert of the Little Rann of Kutch to move to the more inland areas where they dedicate themselves to salt cultivation. The Agariya are a semi-nomadic community living in Gujarat in north-west India. During the rainy season, the desert is transformed. The water completely submerges the entire area, making constructing permanent structures impossible. For this reason, the Agariya build new temporary dwellings every year, which they use during the eight months it takes to mine, cultivate and harvest salt.
Since 2009, several school tents have been set up to allow the children to continue their education even while their families are in the desert. But the living conditions here are challenging. In the Little Rann of Kutch, the wind blows almost incessantly, sometimes even fiercely. And the temperatures can reach 50 degrees at certain times of the year, making lessons inside the tents difficult for pupils and teachers.
After many years and thanks to the work of activists from the AHRM and RTI collectives, the government decided to take action. In 2018, it launched the ‘School on Wheels’ programme, transforming old buses into classrooms ready to accommodate children aged 6 to 14 attending grades 1 to 8.
The buses, about 20 in all, have been placed in the different areas where the salt farmers build their houses. In this way, the children can easily walk or cycle to school. Each vehicle can accommodate a maximum of 20 pupils per shift. The windows have been sealed to prevent sand and salt brought in by the wind from entering. Solar panels have been installed on the roof to produce the energy needed to recharge the batteries that power the fans, TV and internet connection. Outside there is a bathroom and a tank for drinking water.
